What began as a weight loss journey evolved into a realistic way of looking at food, nutrition and life itself. The number on the scale has become less and less important, and the practice of eating real, honest food has taken it's place

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

So we have all been led to believe that if we eat healthy ( i.e. modern definition that says it must be low in saturated fat, sodium and calories) we will lose weight and be healthy. After nearly 10 years of constant attempts to "eat healthy" , my weight did not drop, my arthritis worsened and I developed food allergies to nuts, fish and a near fatal reaction to shellfish.

For about 3 months now I have tossed everything that is believed about eating healthy in favor of eating nourishing, real food. Whole eggs, whole milk, butter, coconut oil, soaked grains, bone broths and fermented vegetables. Two weeks ago I accidentally consumed some shrimp ( shellfish- and it had me very frightened for a while) , and had absolutely no reaction. This past Saturday I enjoyed a dinner of boil and peel shrimp with no reaction. Through eating nourishing, I have reversed my allergies to nuts, fish and shellfish. My arthritis continues to improve.

I may be wrong , but I would say eliminating allergies is real health. I am not sidetracked from the weight loss journey, but rather I no longer consider it to be important. A number on the scale or a clothing size is absolutely not an indicator of your quality of health, no matter what you Doctor or Insurance Company would like you to believe. Real health is my only objective.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Sill here, still plugging away at family history. One month turned into 2 months, the job is still not finished, and I am being blown away every day by the finds. Blown away in a good way, and blown away in a very disturbed way- like discovering that several of my Great Grandfathers wound up captured by the Iroquois, tortured, killed and then EATEN by them . ( It was their way, and how they believed to absorb the life energy of the person in payment for a wrong done to the tribal family). This may be the best weight loss discovery, for since I learned this fact I have not had much of an appetite for anything else. However, my family still has an appetite, so I cook for them . My clothes are getting looser , but I have not stepped on the scale. I really do not care what it says. Food has kind of fallen into a happy rut - Saturday mornings we have sourdough waffles and bacon, Sundays are eggs and some form of meat, Saturday afternoons are Chinese take out ( the most affordable, most real food filled fast food option for a busy day), Sunday is roast brined chicken and then bone broth is made from the carcass as well as chicken salad for sandwiches during the week. Lots of soaked oatmeal and egg breakfasts and home made soup with sandwiches made on soaked flour bread for lunches.

Nick , who turns 19 in a few days, seems to be on the verge of a growth spurt these days. His appetite has become amazing ( he has gained some weight, but it has always been that he gets rounder than higher), and I can hear his stomach growling several times during the day. He grabs fists full of raw vegetables, cheese, hardboiled eggs, homemade soaked granola bars and almost always has seconds at every meal. However, he has become more and more conversational , sharper in the critical thinking skills and has the upper arm strength of Atlas. I am not going to worry about his weight, as he is growing more and more functional every day. That will serve him a lot more than fitting in a size 34 jeans ever will.

Hopefully I can finish this project in the next week or two and life will get back to normal- whatever that is !

Who are we ?

a 50 something mom with PCOS, somewhere in the sea of menopause who home schools , drug her family along on a weight loss journey and learned some important truths . Like so many other roadways, this one is also constantly under construction or dealing with potholes. The road is life itself, and is never a boring journey